Walker College Affordability Plan Gets Nod From Senate Committee

Four bills in Gov. Scott Walker’s college affordability plan got Senate committee approval on Thursday.

Walker has touted the plan for months, including in his annual State of the State address earlier this year. The plans approved by the Senate’s higher education committee would eliminate a $2,500 cap on student loan interest deductions, fund internship coordinator positions, finance emergency grants for students studying at technical colleges, and require schools to provide students with yearly updates on their loans.

Opponents have said the bills don’t go far enough to help students struggling with the cost of higher education. During the hearing, Ashland Democrat Janet Bewley called the bills “sweet” and “superficial.”

“It by no means even begins to repair the damage of $250 million in cuts,” Bewley said, referring to funding reductions for the University of Wisconsin System in the last state budget.

The bills now move to the full Senate, where they face an uncertain future. Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has voiced concern about the fiscal impact of the package, which is estimated to cost around $10 million.

Sen. Sheila Harsdorf, R-River Falls, who chairs the higher education committee, said legislators plan to meet to discuss the proposals’ cost.

“Obviously, we have concerns about the fiscal implication,” Hasdorf said. “We do not want to put ourselves into a situation where we’re making the next budget more difficult.”

The Senate is scheduled to return to Madison on March 15 for its final votes of the year.